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I remember this battle from a previous setting. I felt that if children in Nursery (ours had children aged from 3-5) were truly ready for reading we should start them off. I had about 2 children per year who left as confident readers,working beyond way beyond foundation stage and many more beginner readers, much to the pleasure of their next teacher.These days there is also such a good range of early phonic/reading books available that it makes the job easier. I guess the arguements could be that the child is not truly ready,or is being pushed by parents, or that the time you take on this minority of children might impact adversly on the time you have with the majority, who need phase 1 type activities, shared big book reading etc. I now teach in reception, where I have 10 children out of 60 at phase 4/5 level right now. It is really hard to find a way to cater for their needs within the crowded timetable and one could argue that they will be fine anyway and are not a priority. However, this week, one of the children who have been taught phonics by my TA using my planning, read the words "frightening" and "ride" using alternative spellings for the long vowel i and could explain how she worked it out. If time, staffing and resources allow, I think we should be aspirational for our children whatever their age.
JEHHT and Nursery staff just seem to think I want to 'hold children back' and are thrilled that they have such 'advanced' children!
Are these books given as extras or instead of 'sharing' books?
inkyAre these books given as extras or instead of 'sharing' books?
(If they can actually read) I would hope they are in addition to and aren't replacing sharing books.
thank you for all your ideas! I am not convinced that the children are actually independently reading these books - most seem to need a lot of support to sound out each word. I know there are always going to be one or two in a class of 26 three and four year olds who are more 'ready' for this, but it still concerns me that there are more than 1 or 2 who are being given scheme books. Also, all children have been started on Phase 2 Letters and Sounds teaching, which in some catchment areas would be fine, with better developed language skills and more input from home, but that is not where we are - I don't think the pressure is coming from parents to push them on but from well meaning but misguided staff. Children are still taking free choice books home from class library, so it's an 'add-on' rather than 'instead of'.
As many of these children still can't speak in sentences, use pronouns correctly etc. I feel that valuable time is being used up on inappropriate activity. Have also noted that on my last walk through nursery there was a PSRN whole class lesson going - on involving the writing of 'sums' on the board! Oh well - teacher in question and some SMT will not be here much longer so I'm hoping common sense will prevail before too long! Thanks for all your comments - very useful - it's good to know there are so many interested people out there!
I agree and would be inclined to ask to hear the children in question read a book they haven't practised previously
JEHthank you for all your ideas! I am not convinced that the children are actually independently reading these books - most seem to need a lot of support to sound out each word. I know there are always going to be one or two in a class of 26 three and four year olds who are more 'ready' for this, but it still concerns me that there are more than 1 or 2 who are being given scheme books. Also, all children have been started on Phase 2 Letters and Sounds teaching, which in some catchment areas would be fine, with better developed language skills and more input from home, but that is not where we are - I don't think the pressure is coming from parents to push them on but from well meaning but misguided staff. Children are still taking free choice books home from class library, so it's an 'add-on' rather than 'instead of'. As many of these children still can't speak in sentences, use pronouns correctly etc. I feel that valuable time is being used up on inappropriate activity. Have also noted that on my last walk through nursery there was a PSRN whole class lesson going - on involving the writing of 'sums' on the board! Oh well - teacher in question and some SMT will not be here much longer so I'm hoping common sense will prevail before too long! Thanks for all your comments - very useful - it's good to know there are so many interested people out there!
What worries me about the scenario you describe is that, if so many children are on readers, adults will not have time to interact with children as they play and work on the oral skills. When I have given children readers in nursery it has been in a pretty laid back way, without pressure to change books too frequently - an bit of an optional extra really. It also seems a bit strange to have a lesson with recording for PSRN as, if children's vocabulary is not good, it is essential they talk about PSRN before moving onto recording and doing sums; the danger is that the understanding is not there to support the formal skills. However, you can't know for sure without checking the children's development against the development matters.
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